Falcon Heights Church and other local churches and agencies are discussing establishing a Healthy Aging Group in northern Ramsey County.

The goal of a Healthy Aging Group is to enable older people to thrive in their communities. Two other groups are already operating in the St. Paul area: The West St. Paul group includes Hamline-Midway, Rondo, Union Park and the West 7th area; a second group focuses on the East Side of St. Paul.

Ours would be the third area group, and like the other two, would focus on the specific needs of our particular populations of older adults.

Falcon Heights Church has been looking for ways to advance our senior ministry. Rev. Rick King has been in touch with Julia Wolf, a planner with St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health, and Lisa Kane of the Living-at-Home Block Nurse program about this potential partnership.

On March 27, our church hosted the first gathering to explore starting a group, which Julia Wolf would establish but which would become self-directing, self-sustaining and community-based.

A follow-up meeting is scheduled April 24 at 3 p.m. in the Gathering Room at Falcon Heights Church. We expect to meet with people from Como Park Lutheran, New Life Presbyterian, Lyngblomsten, District 10, and others.